Mastodon ... I was only really able to get into Mastodon through CTS and I think it's one of the best albums in many, many years. I do understand the difference in that album (much more of a prog type) and what came before it and see how some of the long time Mastodon fans might prefer the other albums. HOWEVER... CTS is just pure genius regardless if it might not be as straight brutal metal as their other albums etc. I have grown to really enjoy the rest of Mastodon's music through being blown away by the brilliance of CTS.

I dig 'em all, took a while though. I owned Leviathan and Blood Mountain already, but it wasn't until I heard CtS that Mastodon really clicked with me. Somehow CtS made me understand the band's music better.

As for the new album, heavier direction is absolutely fine, but I hope they'll keep the best influences that CtS had.

Quick question regarding the old guard fans versus the Crack the Skye crowd...

I notice that what seems like a majority of Mastodon fans on this forum like the albums in this order: CtS, BM, LV, RM. But most longtimers like me like either RM or LV best followed by the other one and then CtS and BM end up as #3 and #4 in either order. For me this happened because I wasn't immediately thrilled by CtS and to this day I don't really get excited for BM except for Colony of Birchmen or This Mortal Soil(maybe Sleeping Giant too.)

Over time though, CtS has grown on me a good bit to where I like it enough to position it JUST on the outskirts of the nice neighborhood RM and LV reside in.

So now the actual question...

For CtS n00bs: Even if Remission and Leviathan remain your two least favorite full length albums have either of them closed that gap a little to where they are at least in the same neighborhood as CtS or have they remained boring/too heavy/undesirable for whatever reason to you?

For the old guard fans...

This is basically an inverse of the question I just asked the CtS noobs. For those who love Remission and Leviathan best and were not immediate lovers of CtS, has CtS managed to work its way into your heart as deeply as RM and LV?

Um...I don't think the "Crack the Skye noobs" hold Remission in such a low spot like you think. I personally put it above Blood Mountain. Remission, however, just isn't that exciting to me. Its got some cool, heavy stuff like "March of the Fire Ants," but its nowhere near the perfection of CtS or Leviathan.

I'm a pre-CtS fan but Blood Mountain was the first album I really gravitated towards. I was really big on CtS when it first came out, but have cooled a bit since, maybe because the songs tend to sound the same. Leviathan has grown a ton for me over the few years I've been a fan so now it's my favorite. I'd rank CtS second even though I arguably like BM more it also has more filler. Remissions is good too, I just don't love it as much as the others.

I'm fine with the heavier direction the next album has taken as I don't want another CtS but I hope it's more BM than Remissions, with some CtS influences too.

Of course Dream Theater isn't that good. Good music is obviously about 3 minute pop songs and catchy hooks.Dream Theater aren't that good. Neither was Beethoven, or Mozart, or Bach. Pfft, 20 minute epics. Who needs that?